Secretly in love with you
by saiyanja
Summary: Ryo won a reality show, which made him quite famous. Rika and him are friends, going to the same university. Ryo's b-day is coming and he hardly convinced Rika to come. Will anything happen there? Rated T because of some alcohol drinking. :P
1. 01 Ryo, Ryo, RYO!

**SECRETLY IN LOVE WITH YOU; RYO X RIKA**

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or any other character in this story (except for this one guy xD).

Me: I wrote this fic quite a while ago. I hope there aren't too many grammar mistakes and that you'll like it. Rika is out of character in some scenes but I needed that to make it more romantic. Hope it's not too corny. :D Enjoy and review!  
Oh, that's my first fic on so again I hope I did everything by the rules! =)

...

It was a lovely Monday, all sunny and hot. Rika was sitting on a bench, going through some school literature while checking her watch every three seconds. She wanted to get there sooner as usually to prepare herself calmly and not in a hury like she always did. She was really annoyed when she finally saw him in the distance. She knew she would be late again.

It's been six years since she last saw Renamon. She's 19 now, a university student in Tokyo. She's working in an american fast food restaurant, making hamburgers and french fries. She hates her job but she needs money, that's why she goes to work four times a week and doesn't spend a penny of what she gets. She's always almost late for work because she goes there after school. But today she got a ride there ... Unfortunately he was late, which didn't make any difference for her. She'll have to change her clothes and get ready for work in a few seconds like always. No wonder she was already totally annoyed when Ryo approached her.

'Hey my queen!' he said and giggled. He knew she hated that.  
'Don't call me like that, you fool ... You're late. I could have gone there by myself instead of waiting for you here like a piece of dirt ...'  
'Don't be mad at me! You didn't want me to pick you up in front of the school!'  
'Of course I didn't! You'd embarrase me with that stupid car!'  
Ryo rolled his eyes and giggled again. 'You're just jealous ...'  
But she wasn't jealous. She really was embarrased if he gave her a drive in his fancy new sports car. She could see all the jealous faces of girls that had a crush on him. He was paparazzi's new favourite face afterall.

A year ago Ryo participated in a reality show ... and won. After that you could find a (stupid) article about him in almost any tabloid every day. 'Ryo ate pizza at Sergio's', 'Ryo went shopping', 'Ryo's new car', 'Ryo took a taxi', 'Will Ryo write an auto-biography?' etc. It was all fun at the beginning but paparazzi didn't only follow 'the great Ryo', they also wrote articles about Ryo's friends and family. Ryo gave Jeri a drive once, when she was late for a job interview ... The next day there was an article in a random tabloid ... 'Ryo and his new girl'. Jeri was really shocked and didn't want to go anywhere with him alone anymore.

Rika and Ryo walked to his new yellow Hyundai Coupe, Rika was still quite annoyed by him, even though she knew it was her fault, he didn't pick her up directly where she was waiting for him. But she'd rather be late for work than to listen to her classmates again. 'Are you two dating? No? And why are you always together? Of course you are! Don't lie to us!' Everything was actually really stupid, Ryo would never be that popular if he hadn't won that reality show. She was friends with him even before that and no one cared about it then.  
'I think I might come to visit you today. With Satoshi.' Ryo said while driving the car.  
'Uuughh ... why do you have to be there? And why does _he_ have to be there with you ...?' Rika asked him. Satoshi was Ryo's classmate, she didn't like him. He thought he was a god for women and he also acted that way.  
'We're going out today and we'll probably be really hungry ...!'  
'Go to another restaurant, our sucks anyway ...'  
'Yours is the cheapest ...' he giggled. 'And your cheese burgers aren't that bad ...'  
'Gee, thanks!'  
'You're welcome ...!'  
'Fool ...'  
Ryo stopped the car and Rika left him. He promised to come sometime in the evening.  
She walked into a full restaurant and the girl that worked before her was really happy to see her.  
'Finally, it's been really crazy today ... I need a shower!' she said and left her work space. Her working dress was full of ketchup stains and she even had a piece of salad on it. Rika's motivation for work was gone in a second but she took her working clothes anyway and changed herself behind a wall that separated the kitchen from customers. She took a big breath and was ready for work. She could smell meat everywhere but she got used to it after a few really long seconds. Now she was ready to make some burgers!

Four hours later Rika was working so fast that she didn't even have the time to think how much she hated that job and how tired she was. She had to make four cheese burgers, one without salad and two without tomatos, seven portions of fries, three hamburgers and two toasts, one with ketchup. The waitress was already waiting for her burgers, which made Rika even more nervous. She yelled at meat and potatoes to get rid of her anger but it didn't really help her. She stopped doing that after she saw that a customer near her could hear her. Instead of yelling she rolled her eyes and bit her lips and had a fight with the dishwasher every five minutes. She was nervous and angry when she had too much to do. And she was all alone, nobody helped her.  
A few minutes later Ryo and Satoshi entered the restaurant and sat at the least popular table - the nearest to the kitchen. The kitchen and the customers were separated by a wall but this wall had a big round hole, so that everyone could see Rika and her work space and so could Rika see everyone. She wasn't really happy to see the two of them when she had so much to do. And she knew Satoshi would want her to make something really annoying and time-taking. She hated him!  
'Yo Rika!' Ryo smiled at her and she noded.  
'Oh, hi, Rika ... I have a feeling that we'll have to wait for our burgers even longer than last week!' Satoshi said and rolled his eyes.  
'Then go somewhere else!' Rika yelled at him and the waitress turned her shocked face to her.  
'It's ok, we'll wait ...' Ryo said and Satoshi rolled his eyes again.  
They got their burgers twenty minutes later. Satoshi bit into his burger with eggs (they took Rika some extra time, because they still had their peel on them and she had to remove it first).  
'So, Rika, are you coming to Ryo's birthday party next week?' Satoshi asked her after a while.  
'No,' she said. She totally forgot about his party. He asked her to come once or twice but she didn't want to. Almost hundred people were invited, including all of her Tamer buddies, but Tamers always celebrated separately.  
'Oh come ooon, it'll be fun!'  
Rika didn't mind Satoshi's stupid begging voice and made another hamburger.  
'Rikaaaaa ...'  
'Oh please, stop it ... She'll come. You'll see,' Ryo said and smiled at her. They were looking at each other for a moment or two, when Rika turned herself away. She blushed a little.  
'What's wrong with you?' asked the waitress. 'You're so red in your face.'  
'It's so freaking hot in here!' she yelled at her.  
'I'm sorry for asking!' the other one rolled her eyes.  
'No ... no, I'm sorry for yelling.'  
'It's ok ... Umm, so, Rika ... Do you think, um, Ryo would invite me to his party?'  
Rika stabbed a piece of meat with anger. It was always about Ryo! Ryo! Ryo! Ryooo!  
'Ask him.'

She finally got a permission to clean her work space. The waitress was jumping all over the place in happinnes, since she asked Ryo if she could come to his party and he agreed. She even voluentered to clean the floor - something nobody ever wanted to do. It started to rain outside.  
Rika cleaned her work space in a half an hour. She left the dancing waitress and went to the nearest bus station. She had to run because she didn't have an umbrella.  
The bus station had no roof.  
'That's just great!' she screamed into the rain and kicked an emty bottle that was lying on the wet floor. She was the only one on the station. She put her hands in her pockets and stood there in the rain already wet as a puppy. There was no building with a roof anywhere near her. She could have gone back to the restaurant and wait for a better weather but she didn't want to watch the happy waitress.  
'Maybe ...' she said to herself and took her cellphone from her right pocket. She chose Jeri's number and called her.  
She changed her mind a second later and put her phone back to her pocket.  
'It's already 11pm, I shouldn't be calling anyone ... The bus will come soon ...' she tried to convince herself.  
Ten minutes passed but no bus came to save her from drowning in her own shoes. She wasn't annoyed or angry anymore, she was already past that phase, she was now becoming depressed and felt sorry for herself.  
'Rika!' a familiar voice called her. She turned around.  
She saw her college, the happy waitress, with a man under umbrella. No, it wasn't just a man under that umbrella, when she looked closer ...  
'Here you are you foolish thing!' Ryo said and jumped to her leaving Rika's colleague on the rain. The waitress screamed.  
He rised his orange umbrella under their heads.  
'I went to pick you up on the way home,' he said to her. 'Satoshi met some old classmates and went for a drink with them. I didn't want to go.'  
'You should have come like a half an hour earlier, if you wanted to look like a savior.'  
'I had to wait for your friend, she didn't have an umrella ...'  
They both remembered the waitress and turned her heads to her. She was standing a few steps away from them. Her purple umbrella was saving her from the rain.  
Ryo blinked twice confused: 'I thought you didn't have ...'  
'I just found one!' the waitress said and blushed a bit. She forgot what she told him.  
'Oh ... great ... Then you'll be alright on your own ...!'  
'Bu-...' she tried to resist.  
'It was nice meeting you!' he said and turned towards Rika. 'Shall we go? My car is parked just a few meters from here.'  
They walked in silence, Rika was shaking but she tried to hide it. They came to Ryo's car in a minute.  
'I'll destroy your precious car seets, if you don't have a towel I can put under myself,' Rika said after she jumped into the warm car.  
'Errr, I don't think I have one ... It's ok, it doesn't matter.' He threw his wet umbrella on the back seets of his new car. 'Now you won't have a bad conscience.' He giggled and she rolled her eyes.  
Ryo took car keys from his pocket, when Rika's bus drew by them.

They were driving towards Rika's house.  
'Why wouldn't we go for a drink?' Ryo suddenly asked Rika.  
'Huuuh? Are you crazy? Look at me!' she said and looked at herself. She hated the feeling of wet clothing on the skin.  
'Yeah I know ... You can go change yourself and I'll wait for you in the car ...'  
'I don't know, Ryo ... It's a bit late ...'  
'C'mooon, the night is still young!' he smiled and parked the car. They were in front of Rika's house. It stopped raining a few minutes ago.  
'I hate it when someone says that!' she said and opened the car door. 'I'll be back in a few minutes.'  
Ryo giggled and she left.  
She slowly opened the front door and closed it quietly. She didn't want to wake up her mother or grandmother. She took a quick shower and changed her clothes. She was ready to go in ten minutes. But she didn't go to Ryo's car immediately. She thought for a few moments.  
'I wonder why he wanted to go for a drink so late ... That can only mean one thing! He wants something from me ...' Rika said to her reflection in the mirror. 'Oh, of course, Ryo ... You're so predictable ... You want to convince me to come to your birthday party, don't you ...?' She looked through the window somewhere in Ryo's direction.  
'Well, you won't make it!' she said loudly.  
Ryo was happy to see Rika when she came back. He was getting sleepy in the warm car.  
'We have one hour, nothing more,' Rika said when she sat next to him.  
'One hour is more than enough!' Ryo smiled.  
_That's what you think ..._  
They went to the first bar they could find. It was a little suspicious, there were many older men in it, drinking beer and talking quietly. Some of them turned their heads to the new-comers but no one said a word to them.  
'Eeeerr, let's sit here,' Ryo suggested a table that wasn't too near to other freaky people.  
They got used to the bar after a few minutes. Nobody watched them and nobody cared about them. Ryo was silently relieved that no one recognised him as a reality show winner and asked for his autograph.  
'Do you think Takato and the others will come to my party? I mean our Tamers party?' Ryo suddenly asked Rika.  
'Huh? Of course they will, they always have. Why would it be any different this time?'  
'I don't know ... I was never sure if they'd come.'  
'Really?' Rika was surprised to hear that. 'But we're friends ... We're a team!'  
'_You_ are a team. I never felt as a part of it. I came later and I'm the oldest of you all.'  
'That doesn't matter. We like you as much as we like Takato or Henry.'  
'I'm not whining or anything. Just asking!' Ryo smiled at her.  
'Oh ... ok ...'  
Rika was waiting the whole hour for Ryo to try to convince her to come to his party. But he didn't say anything. They left the strange bar at 00.30 am and took a short walk to the car. Rika was still waiting for the bomb to blow up but nothing happened. She was starting to get suspicious.  
They were back in the car and they were already driving. Ryo didn't say a word. When he finally stopped the car in front of her house, Rika had enough.  
'I thought you wanted to go for a drink because you wanted to make me come to your birthday party,' she said.  
'To make you come?' he giggled. 'No, I just wanted to hang out, that's all!'  
'Oooh really?' she said. She didn't believe him.  
'Well, I would be really happy if you came but I won't try to change your mind anymore. I think I'll survive in that ... jungle.'  
She noded and wished him good night. She went out of his car but she looked back at him when he wished her good night. He smiled at her again and then he went away. That was the moment when all her doubts about his party disappeared. She could still see his sad blue eyes and she knew she will go to that stupid party.


	2. 02 Jeri's Plan

As if it wasn't enough that she promised Ryo to come to his party, Rika got a message from her highschool classmate. It was two days after that evening with Ryo.

Rika just opened the fridge to find something eatable. The cornflakes box was empty, which always made her whole day a disaster. She knew something bad was going to happen. She also knew it was stupid to believe an empty cornflakes box but it was never wrong ...  
Soon her cellphone started to ring. She went to get it with a piece of bread in her mounth. She looked down to her phone to see who's calling. An unknown number? Usually she didn't answer an unknown number but ... _the empty box ..._  
'Oh god, that's it ... I better get over with this as soon as possible ...' _Click._ 'Hello?'  
'Hello? Is this Rika? Rika Nonaka?' a girly voice said. It was a familiar voice but she couldn't remember whom it belonged to.  
'Yes ... It's me ... Who is this?' she said carefully.  
'Ooooh, hi, Rikaaa! It's meee! It's Ran!' the girl said. _Ran? ... Oh please not _that_Ran!_  
'Ran ... from highschool?'  
'Yeaaah, that's right! I'm sure you remember me!'  
Rika would love to say _no_ just to hurt Ran's ego. She was the most popular girl in school. Every girl wanted to be like her. If there were boys in their school, she'd probably date all the cute ones. Luckily, Rika went on a 'girls only!' school.  
'Of course I remember you!' Rika faked her luck. She saw something really bad coming. 'So ... what's up?'  
'Ooh, I'm just organising a reunion party ... For the girls from our class!'  
_Noooooo ... damn cornflakes!_  
'Oh really ... That's nice. Why are you calling me?' Rika asked. The girls from her class never accepted her as one of them.  
'Don't be silly! We want you to come to the reunion! It'll be just like old times! That's great, isn't it?'  
_What, ignoring and mocking me?_  
'Err, when is this reunion party?'  
'In exactly two weeks. We'll meet at 7 pm in our old gym. It'll be sooo great to see all of you! Don't forget to come!'  
'But-'  
'And don't forget to take your boyfriend with you!'  
'But-'  
'What? You _do_ have a boyfriend, don't you?' she said. Rika could feel her evil smile. She thought she didn't have one!  
'But of course I do!' Rika said loudly.  
'Well .. it was nice to hear from you Rika .. Can't wait for our party!'  
The conversation was officially over. Rika threw the phone on her bed. She was really upset and angry.

'She just wants to see me as a piece of stinky ... something!' Rika yelled at her best friend Jeri.  
'Calm down Rika! We'll figure out something!' Jeri said.  
After the phonecall Rika called Jeri and asked her to go to a cafe with her. She had to share Ran's evil plans with someone.  
'What if you just don't go there? Say that you're sick ... or that you broke your leg.' Jeri suggested.  
'I thought of that too .. Well, something more believable .. Like getting hit by a bus or being kidnapped by my mum's crazy fan ... but it would just look like I'm avoiding them. Uuuugh, they'd laugh so hard and evilly if I wouldn't show up!'  
'Well, then there's only one option ..' Jeri said.  
'Please tell me that I can avoid them somehow and still keep my pride ...'  
'No, but there's something much better you can do.' Jeri said and winked to her. Rika was confused but she knew it was something she'd hate.

Rika was walking home alone. She thought about Jeri's evil plan and she had to admitt .. it was just _brilliant_. But first she wanted to go through all possibilities, if she'd maybe find an option B that wouldn't have a disturbing factor like Jeri's plan had.

Next day in school. Rika couldn't sleep all night, she was constantly thinking about that plan B. Sadly, her plans became more and more absurd and when she finally stopped thinking about setting a fire to the reunion place, she decided to follow Jeri's plan. She called her first thing in the morning to tell her about it. Jeri was really happy to be a genious.  
'Rikaaa!' It was Ryo, the most disturbing factor in Jeri's plan. Rika started to doubt in her friend's plan when she heard his voice.  
'Oh, hi, Ryo .. We ..' It's now or never!  
'We?'  
'We .. we need to talk!' she yelled at him. She was angry because she had to go through this and she was even angry at him for not knowing about the plan.  
Ryo blinked twice and pointed at an empty bench.  
They were sitting there in silence for over five minutes. Ryo was confused and didn't want to say a word. Finally Rika turned herself to him and gave him an angry look.  
'What did I do now?' Ryo protested. 'I called that magazine as soon as I saw that article!'  
'Wha-what article?' Rika's eyes almost flew out of her head.  
'Oh nothing .. nothing!'  
Ryo said and Rika decided to come back to this article thing later. First she had to discuss that stupid plan. It was not even brilliant! It was just stupid!  
'I need a favour,' Rika finally said. Ryo's face expressions changed into even more confused look.  
'I got a phonecall from a highschool classmate yesterday.' Silence. 'She invited me to the reunion party.'  
'Oh really? What does that have to do with me?'  
'Would you just listen to me for a second?' Rika was becoming more and more upset. 'Sorry .. ok, I got that stupid phonecall and said that I'd come. Well, I didn't say anything, the cow just put the words into my mouth ... However .. Well, she also said that I should bring my _boyfriend_ with me.'  
Ryo understood what she was saying. 'Well, I must say. I'm really surprised you picked me! Why didn't you pick Kazu or Henry?'  
'Oh don't be too proud of yourself! I could have picked any other Tamer. But it was Jeri's idea .. Well, these girls never liked me in highschool .. I thought I could shout their mouths once and forever, if I took you there. You know .. You're famous.'  
Ryo didn't say anything to that. He was a little disappointed.  
'So you would take someone else to that party if I didn't win that show?' he asked her and stood up.  
'What ...?' Rika was confused.  
'I asked you-'  
'I know what you asked me. But since when are you so sensitive?'  
He started to laugh. 'Oh come one, Rika! It's just funny that you were always ashamed of my fame and now you want to go out with the famous guy!'  
'I'm not going out with you! I just need a favour!' Rika blushed a little.  
'Yeah yeah, I know ... Sure, I'll go with you. So .. you think these classmates of yours will faint when they see me?'  
'I sure hope so,' Rika smiled and Ryo sat down to her.  
'Eeeeh, Rika, Rika .. That's so deliciously ironic! You never wanted to be a part of my fame and suddenly you want a big juicy piece of it!' he said and put his hand on her shoulder. She looked at him and saw that stupid sad smile again. 'I wish I could help you even if I wasn't famous ...'

It was the day of Ryo's birthday party. Rika was getting ready and she was already late.  
'Muuum, would you give me a driiiive?' she yelled through the house.  
'Where are you going so late, Rika?' her mother asked her.  
'It's Ryo's birthday party, did you forget?' she asked her but she didn't hear her answer. She was trying to make a ponytail with her hair.  
'Aaaw, you look just like the old Rika! I haven't seen you with a ponytail for so long ...'  
That was true. She didn't have that haircut for a few years now. She thought she needed a change, when she left highschool. New hair, new beginning!  
'How do I look?' she asked her mother when they were finally sitting in the car.  
'You look great, sweety ... Ryo'll fall in love with you, when he sees you!'  
'Oh stop it!' Rika said all red in her face.  
'What? Ryo's a nice boy and you're a nice-'  
'Just drive! PLEASE!'

They stopped in front of Takato and Jeri's old school. Ryo rented the gym for his party and Rika could hear the loud music and screaming people. Her mother didn't like that at all.  
'Call me, if you'll need something, ok? And be careful! Promise me!'  
'Yeah yeah, I'll call!'  
'Promise me!' her mum yelled behind her, when she already left the car.  
'Ok, ok, I promise!' Rika yelled back and her mother slowly left the place.  
Before entering the building, Rika stood in front of it for a while. _I hope I won't regret this ..._

She had no idea that this night will change her life. The part of her life that she kept hidden in her heart and she never wanted to accept.


	3. 03 Ryo's Party

Rika opened the heavy door to schoolhouse. The loud music hit her in the ears but she didn't mind it. She was too busy asking herself why the hell she came to this stupid party! She entered the empty hall and all she could do is follow the music. She could imagine what she'll find behind the doors to the gym.  
'Oh god ...' she whispered to herself, when she saw the gym hall through the glass on the door.  
There were more then hundred people in the hall, all in front of a stage. Rika could see Satoshi on it but she didn't see Ryo.  
_If I went now, nobody ever knew I came!_ Rika turned herself back from the gym but then she remembered Ran, her evil classmate. _Aaarghhh! Jeri and her stupid plan! I can't go now! If Ryo didn't see me at his party, he would maybe do the same to me and wouldn't go to that damn reunion party!_  
Rika was angry and decided to get lost in the crowd. She opened the door in the same moment as Satoshi started his speach on the stage.  
'Hey guys and gals! It's time to bring out our maaaan! Ryo Akiyama, ladies and gentlemen!' Satoshi yelled into the microphone and the crowd went all crazy.  
_As if he was a member of the Beatles or something ... How stupid!_  
Ryo came on the stage. A girl was holding his hand because he had a blindfold and couldn't see anything. His legs were all shaky, he must have had a few drinks before he came here.  
The girl removed the blindfold from his eyes and everybody started to scream his name. Rika felt really stupid but she didn't scream along. The crowd wanted to come closer to the stage and people were pushing other people to be as close to Ryo as they could. Rika was the only one in the back, leaning against the wall.  
'Heeey people! Thanks for coming!' Ryo started to yell. And so did the crowd. Rika didn't. 'I have no idea what else to say ..!' The girls started do giggle and the boys started to laugh as if he just told something really funny.  
_Oh so fuuunny! Haha. Pathetic!_  
'Let's get this party starteeeed!' Satoshi screamed and if Rika thought the crowd couldn't get any louder, she was wrong.  
Ryo threw himself to the crowd and every single part of the crowd wanted a piece of him. They worshipped him like a movie star .. even worse! Rika had no idea why she's still standing there. She went to get herself a drink, which was a mission impossible. She had to use some force to get to the tables and she grabbed the first thing she could reach. On the way back to her beloved empty wall she bumped into her college from work, the waitress. She seemed to be in some seventh heaven and didn't even recognise her. Rika was tired of explaining to her who she was and left the gym.  
'Uuugh, stupid party!' she said to herself. It was no use to whisper, the music was so loud that nobody could hear her.  
_I mustn't go before he sees me. Or before Satoshi sees me. No, better Ryo. Satoshi may not remember me or something._ She looked at the bottle she grabbed from the table. She didn't know the drink. She didn't know why but that made her so angry that she just had to throw the stupid bottle into the wall and see it explode. That calmed her down a bit. She knew she'd have to go back to the gym to find Ryo and wave to him. Then she could leave the stupid crowded party and maybe lie to Ryo the next day that she was there the whole night but that they probably missed each other ... since it was so CROWDED!  
She returned to the gym and looked for Ryo. People were dancing and it seemed like Ryo disappeared. Rika was still searching for him, when he saw Satoshi in the distance. He was like a spot of light in the dark tunnel. She forced herself a way to Ryo's friend to ask him where he was. She had to push away some crazy girls before she finally reached him. Satoshi was just talking to a half naked girl, when Rika approached them.  
'Ooh, look who I see here. It's Rika, the slowly burger maker,' Satoshi said and the girl giggled.  
'Satoshi, funny as always,' Rika rolled her eyes.  
'What do you want here?' he asked her as if she wasn't invited three hundred times.  
'It wouldn't kill you, if you were nice once in a while.'  
'Are you sure ..?'  
'Not really. However, I'm searching for Ryo.'  
'Everybody is.'  
'Yeah, you have to wait in the row to get to him!' the girl giggled.  
'I don't remember asking you something,' Rika said to the girl and gave her the most 'you-are-so-stupid' look.  
'You-'  
'Cat fight!' Satoshi yelled and started to laugh. 'I don't know where Ryo is, last time I checked he was with a long leged woman. I'm sure he's not waiting for _you_ around the corner, when he can easily get something like that ...' He showed at the girl, who gave Rika a 'I-am-so-much-better-than-you-you-*piiip*' look.  
'Oh don't be too flattered my dear. He said easily. Last time I checked, easy wasn't anything positive.' Rika said and left the two of them. She had enough of the stupid party.  
_Satoshi saw me. That's enough._  
After fifteen minutes she finally left the gym. She went straight to the exit of the school. The hall was still empty. She was almost at the exit when the doors to the gym opened. She turned around instinctively. It was Ryo.  
_Yes!_  
She took a few small steps towards him. He was still standing at the doors. As much as he could normally stand.  
'Oh, hi, Ryo! I was just .. err .. going to get some fresh air!' she lyied. He smiled at her.  
_I'm sure he knows what I'm up to ..._  
'Don't go,' he suddenly whispered.  
He left the doors, approaching her. He wasn't able to stand and she came closer to him.  
'Errr ... are you ok?' she asked and he looked at her. He looked sad. 'Ryo?'  
They were standing opposite each other, Rika was confused because he started to look in the floor. She was getting annoyed. She wanted to say that she's going and leave him like this, when he suddenly move and tripped against his legs. One of his hands accidentally grabbed her arm and they both fell on the floor.  
'Ryoo!' she said angry when they were both down. She leaned a bit forward to him and sat on her knees. He was also on his knees, still quiet, looking at the floor. Now she was really getting mad.  
'Are you ok ...?' she asked him, trying to cover up her annoyance.  
He looked at her: 'Yeah ... yeah, sure ... I'm going to kill Satoshi for this ...' He started to laugh quietly as if he was in pain. She didn't know what to say or do.  
'Well, I'm going home, Ryo,' she finally said. 'I'm ... I'm sorry, but it's just too crowded in here!'  
He didn't say anything. She looked away from him, thinking what to do. _Damn!_  
'Rika,' he said after a while and she blushed a bit because she didn't know he was watching her.  
'Yeah, I know, you probably won't want to go to the reunion with me, but-'  
'I love you.'  
Her brains stopped working for a moment. She didn't understand anything. She didn't even realise that she was staring at him with her eyes and mouth wide open.  
'What ...?' Her ability to speak came back. 'Don't be stupid, Ryo ... I ...'  
'I'm sorry,' he said and closed his eyes. He turned his head to the gym. The voices there were getting louder.  
'You're drunk, Ryo!' she suddenly yelled at him. He looked back at her but didn't say anything.  
'RYOOOO!' the doors opened and a bunch of fans ran into the hall. Rika grabbed the oportunity, stood up and ran out in the night. She didn't look back at him and she couldn't see how he hit the floor with his hand.  
'Oh my god, oh my god ...!' she yelled while running away from the school. She finally stopped at a random tree. She was breathing so fast, that her loungs hurt her. She opened her bag and delved in it. When she found her cellphone, she left her bag fall onto the grass. Her hands were shaking, when she was dialing Jeri's number.  
_Pick it up! Pick it up! Please .. pick it up!_  
'Hello?' Juri's laughing voice finally picked up the phone.  
'Juri?' Rika said. She didn't realise when she started to cry. 'I ... I need you, Juri. I know ... I know you're with Takato right know .. but .. but please .. could you pick me up? Please?'  
'Rika! What's the matter? Of course I'll pick you up ... Stop it, Takato, she's crying! .. Where are you, girl?'  
'I'm not crying!' she yelled at the phone first. 'I'm ... *sniff* I'm at the stupid party. I'll wait for you at that cafe ... What's called again .. Four oaks ..'


	4. 04 What to do now?

'He did what!' Jeri screamed and immediately lowered her voice. 'Did he really say that?' Her eyes were shining of happiness. Rika was to embarassed to say anything.  
'That's so great, Rika, I'm happy for you!' Jeri tried to hug her but Rika escaped her arms. She pushed herself away using her legs and leaned against Jeri's bed. They were in Jeri's room, sitting on the floor. Takato had to go home and he wasn't really happy about that. He didn't show his annoyance but both girls could clearly see him rolling his eyes in a mirror reflection - he on the other hand didn't notice anything.  
'I don't know, Jeri ...' Rika said and hugged her knees. 'That's so weird.'  
'Oh, cmon, I've always seen you two as a couple!'  
'But .. We're friends and .. we .. I .. I could never be .. lovey-dovey with him,' Rika continued.  
'Lovey-dovey?' Jeri started to laugh.  
'Don't you laugh!' Rika said and threw her a pillow. 'That's horrible! Can you imagine me and Ryo all sweet and sugary?'  
Juri thought for a moment and Rika understood that as a negative answer.  
'See?' she said and layed down. 'What am I suppose to do?'  
Juri layed down to her and looked at her. 'No, you're right, I hardly imagine you being sweet-'  
'Exactly!'  
'with anyone!' Juri finished the sentence. 'That's how you are, Rika, but I'm sure you can be very .. hihi .. lovey-dovey, when you're alone with a person you love!'  
'But I don't .. love the guy,' Rika said and blushed. Juri acted as if she didn't see that.  
'You did cry on the phone, you know ...'  
'Of course I did! He scared the hell out of me! It was so sudden and .. and .. and he's Ryo, goddamn! And .. Well, I was just _sniffling_!'  
'So what, if he's Ryo!' Jeri said and stood up. 'Takato was my classmate! I knew him all my life! How weird is that!'  
Rika sat down:'You're right, it is kinda weird ...' She started to laugh and Jeri punched her with a pillow.

Rika slept at Jeri's. She had a dream about hundreds of Ryos turning into candy and hunting her. In the end she ate them all and they were really sweet. She didn't remember the dream, when she woke up, but she was really thursty and didn't know why.  
When she looked at Jeri, who was sleeping in a futon, she remembered the previous night and she felt a sudden pain in her chest. She was afraid of meeting Ryo because she didn't know what to do. She was thinking about the whole situation late in the night. She tried to think of all the times they spent together and realised that she stopped thinking about a relationship with him a long time ago. When did that happen?

After they beat the D-Reaper, Ryo was still living in Kyushu, hundreds of kilometers away from Tokyo. They only saw each other on Digimon tournaments. They only played against each other once. She won but couldn't get rid of the feeling, that he let her win. In times of the tournaments Ryo, her, Kazu and Kenta spent every single day together. That was also the time of Rika's stupid girly dreams about Ryo. She stopped dreaming about him in college but she could still remember the dreams. She told Jeri about them (of course she didn't reveal Ryo's identity) and Jeri just laughed that Rika was a girl afterall. When she learned about Ryo coming to Tokyo to study in the capital city, she got really excited about it. But then they started to hang out almost every day and he became a close friend. They laughed together, they did stuff together and most importantly - they argued whenever they wanted! That's not something you can do with your lover, is it! At least not that often.

She decided to leave Ryo the first step. If he already messed everything up, he should fix it, too!

Rika left Juri late in the afternoon and went straight home. She wanted to disappear in her room but her mum caught her.  
'Here you are, honey! Come to the kitchen, I need to tell you something!' her mum said and she was suspiciously excited. Rika just followed her into the kitchen. Her grandma was already there.  
'What's up?' Rika asked the two women.  
Her mum took a letter from the table and showed it to Rika.  
'What's that?'  
'You did it, Rika! You won that stupid prize to Europe!' her mum cried and Rika pulled the letter from her hands.  
'Dear miss Nonaka Rika ... won a prize ... a month in Berlin ... two persons ... congratulations ... your answer ...' Rika was reading the letter greedily. 'That's so ... so great, mum!' Rika cried and the three women were jumping around the kitchen like three little girls.  
Rika at least forgot about Ryo for a few moments. But they didn't last long.  
'Oh, I almost forgot! Ryo called an hour or two ago,' her grandma suddenly said and Rika felt that pain in her chest again.  
'Oh really .. I'll call him back later.'

She didn't call him back. She was lying on the bed the rest of the day, thinking of her trip to Europe, Ryo, Ryo, Ryo, Europe ... Ryo in Europe. _OH STOP IT!_  
She was afraid he'd call again. When he didn't, she was disappointed. She felt really stupid and she wanted to call him back a few times but she always changed her mind.

It was school next day. Rika couldn't sleep most of the night and in the morning she felt like someone had driven over her.  
She intended to be late for school, so that she wouldn't have to meet him. But by pure coincidence he was late too and he bumped into her in front of the school. She immediately turned red and nervous.  
'Oh, hi, Rika! You're late!' he said happily.  
'Oh and you're not!' she said a bit too agressively.  
'Wow, you're even more edgy than usually!' he giggled.  
_What game is he playing? Does he want me to do the first step! You wish, mister!_  
They were walking up the same stairs in silence.  
'I'm the one who should be mad, you know girl!' he said and Rika stopped.  
'Why's that ...?' she said quietly.  
'Well, my queen, ('Don't call me like that!'), you didn't come to my party! You said you'd come!'  
Ryo took her ability to speak already twice in three days. _What did he just say?_  
'What do you mean ...? I was there!' she said loudly.  
'Satoshi said you weren't and I don't remember seing you either,' he said and gave her a faked angry look.  
'But ...' she didn't know what to say. _He doesn't remember!_ 'Don't you remember our .. our conversation?'  
'What conversation?' he asked her and lifted his right eyebrow.  
'Oh, never mind! You drank too much and you probably don't remember!' she said and smiled at him.  
'Oh no, you saw me drunk? I hope I didn't do anything stupid!'  
'No, you didn't do anything ...' she said. 'I ... I forgot we had our first lesson in the basement, stupid me!' She giggled, said bye and ran down the stairs. She almost felt and killed another student ('Watch out woman!') but she managed to reach the main doors and she left the building.  
She was walking for six hours and when she had no more tears left, she went to work. And that was the first time Rika was there punctually.


	5. 05 Rika's Makeover

Things went back to normal. Rika and Ryo never spoke about his birthday party again and even Jeri stopped hating Ryo for being such a jerk. Now only Rika and Jeri knew what happened that night and they didn't intend to tell anyone else about it.  
The day of the reunion party was approaching with full speed. Rika's nerves were at the end when there were just two days left. She asked Ryo the other day, if he was still ready to go with her and he agreed. Rika thought there was nothing more to worry about, when Jeri appeared in front of her door.  
'Hey, Jeri, what's up?' she asked her suspiciously. Jeri never appeared like that with no reason.  
'I'm just here to see how your preparations for the reunion are going!' she said and pushed Rika aside so that she could get into the house.  
Rika followed her in her room: 'What preparations?'  
Jeri was turning right and left as if she was looking for something. 'You know, the dress and haircut and other accessories!'  
'Errr ... well, I found these wonderful jeans in the bottom of the closet. Hm, let's see .. my hair. Maybe Rika-style, just the way they are, what do you think? And for the accessories ... maybe that awesome diamond necklace I always wear for so important events!'  
'Rikaa, don't be so sarcastic! Show me your highschool yearbook, would you?'  
'Whatever,' Rika said and went to her desk. She grabbed the never-opened yearbook and threw it to Jeri.  
Jeri searched for Rika's class and showed her friend what she found. 'See?'  
Rika leaned forward to the picture to see what Jeri saw. 'No.'  
'Oh cmon, Rika, don't you think it's odd how everybody's in front of the pic and you're the only one standing in the back?'  
'Well, I just wasn't _so_ popular .. There's nothing wrong with that!'  
'Of course there's not, but these girls are expecting the girl in jeans, the same haircut she had in ages and not the wonderful and awesome and cool Rika in a sexy dress, confident and better than any of these cows!'  
'Yeah, well ...'  
'Please, I'm your friend! It'd be cruel if they talked bad about you just because of your clothes! I know it's stupid but don't you think it's time to close their mouths once and for all!'  
'I thought the Ryo-factor would do that.'  
'No, the Ryo-factor is going to kill them.'

One hour later, Jeri and Rika entered the shopping mall. Rika's tomboyish mind was a little annoyed but her heart was really excited to see the old classmates in a sexy new clothing.  
'We need a dress, ok? No buts and no arguing with me! If I say it's ok, then it's ok. If I hate it, you hate it too! Understood?'  
'Yes, sir!' Rika said and asked herself when did Jeri become such a dictator.  
They were searching for the perfect dress for nearly three hours but they didn't find anything. Rika tried on hundreds of dresses bur neither Jeri nor the whole mall audience didn't like them.  
'It must be something that matches your eye colour! That's purple.'  
'I know what my eye colour is, Jeri!' Rika was so annoyed and tired that she could buy the first dress that fitted her.  
'Oh my, it's been three hours already! Wasn't that quick!' she laughed. 'Let's grab something to eat!'  
'Right ...'  
While eating hamburgers, Jeri wanted to know everything about Rika's highschool life.  
'There's nothing much to say, really. We just didn't get along that well and they were always teasing me. If I didn't do something they wanted me to do, they threaten me to tell someone I was in love with them. Even though I wasn't.'  
'Whaaat? That's so childish! Did you do it?'  
'Are you crazy? I'd rather beat them up than be their slave!'  
'Can't wait for their reaction when they see you there with Ryo!' Jeri whispered in excitement.  
'Yeah ... me too,' Rika smiled at her and both girls started to giggle.

'Wow, Rika, I just fell in love with you. THIS ONE ist just perfect!' Jeri said and the shop assistant noded.  
Rika looked herself in the mirror. It was a long green dress without straps, perfectly fitting her figure and amazingly pointing out her purple eyes. Jeri really knew what she was doing!  
'Now we just need to do something with your hair and make-up!' Jeri jumped to her and grabed her hands. 'I'm like a proud mother now, Rika, you look just .. _fabulous_.'  
Rika blushed and give Jeri a hug.  
'Thanks, Jeri.'  
'No problemo!'

The day of the reunion finally came. Rika woke up already at 7 in the morning, she was to nervous to sleep. She opened her closet to see the dress again (she did that every fifteen minutes last night). She wasn't sure if she'll really make her classmates speechless but she decided to trust Jeri's words and went to the bathroom to prepare herself for the long day at her friend's house.  
'No, I'll come to you, Ryo. I have some things to do before that and I'm not sure if I'll come home before we go there.'  
'But that's so weird. Isn't the guy supposed to pick up the girl?' Ryo's telephone voice sounded confused.  
'I'm not picking _you_ up, I'm just going to your house by myself and then you can drive us there. Besides, that stupid the-guy-must-pick-up-the-girl stuff is _so_ 1999!'  
'Why did that sound so gay? You feminist girl!' Ryo laughed.  
'Oh goodbye, you jerk! See you at 6.30!' Rika laughed back and ended the conversation.

Jeri invited her classmate to help her and Rika with the make-up. She was supposed to be the master of mascara and Rika had no choice but to trust her.  
'Let's get you dressed first, ok? We don't want to mess your dress!' Jeri talked to Rika as if she was a baby.  
'Jeri wasn't lying, you really look great in that dress!' said the classmate when Rika finally entered the room.  
'Thanks ...' Rika smiled at her. _That's so damn embarassing!_  
'Sit down in front of the mirror, please.'  
And so they were both playing with Rika's face like two make-up-picassos. Jeri insisted not to put too much colours on Rika's face, it should all look simple and natural. _They do need a lot of time to do the SIMPLE and NATURAL look,_ Rika thought after a half an hour suffering on the uncomfortable chair.  
'Taaa-daaaa!' Jeri finally cried and Rika could see herself in the mirror.  
'Wow, you're really good .. err ..!' Rika forgot the girl's name.  
She looked much older now that she wore make-up. Her eyes were even more purple and the slight green shadow on her eyelids matched the dress. Rika was satisfied with the result. They stood before the ultimate challenge - her hair.  
'What's the time?'  
'We have to hurry, it's already 5.30!' Jeri said and left the room, coming back with a comb. She attacked Rika's hair.  
'Ouch, Jeri! I don't think your dream job is a hairdresser!'  
'Don't whine, we're late!'  
_Jeri can be really scary. Ooouch, that hurt!_  
In a half an hour they were finished. Jeri and her classmate were so tired that they collapsed to the floor.  
'Did you run a marathon or something?' Rika asked them and Jeri just swang her hand to the mirror. Rika understood the hint and stood up. She wanted to see the whole picture.  
Her hair was almost the same as always. It just appeared more shiny and smooth thanks to Jeri's hundreds of hairsprays. Jeri didn't want her to wear a pony-tail, so her hair was just falling down her back. Rika looked like a totally different person. 'If Ryo doesn't kiss you tonight, he's a complete jerk,' Jeri said calmly and hugged her best friend.  
'He already is a jerk, you know ... Thanks again, Jeri ...'

6.35 in the afternoon Jeri parked her car in front of a tall building, where Ryo shared his flat with Satoshi. Rika left the car and called Ryo with her cellphone. Jeri was waiting in the car to see Ryo's face when he meets Rika. She was even more excited when she saw Satoshi following him.  
Satoshi came out first and when he saw Rika he stopped and Ryo bumped into him.  
'What's wrong man!' Ryo said and fixed his hair with his hand.  
'Hohooo, burger maker! I can't believe my eyes!'  
'Oh stop it, stupid jerk,' Rika answered.  
Ryo pushed Satoshi away. 'Oh my god, you look ... you look amazing!' he said and approached her. He hugged her and she blushed again. _Why does she keep blushing all the time!_  
'Thanks. Shall we go ...?' Rika asked him and gave Satoshi a murderous look when she caught him staring at her butt.  
'What? You look gooood, babe. Well, we'll see you man!' Satoshi said and left them. He turned around one more time and put his thumbs up.  
'How can you live with this guy!' Rika asked Ryo when they were walking to the car.  
'He's a great guy, you just don't know him well,' he smiled and put his arms arond her shoulders.  
Jeri was watching them and smirking in the car.


	6. 06 The Reunion Party

Ryo was wearing a simple suit and underneath it a black pullover. He didn't look too fancy but neither too casual. _We look good together,_ Rika thought for a second but then she immediately chased away that lovely thought.  
Neither of them said a word while driving and Rika didn't remember when she was last that nervous. _It's just a stupid reunion! Nothing can go wrong ... Wait ... What if everybody is dressed in jeans! I'm going to kill Jeri if that happens!_  
Five minutes later she could normally breath again. They parked the car in front of the school and she could see three or four old classmates wearing shiny dresses. Ryo turned himself to her:  
'Let's go, darling, it's time to kick some butts!' She noded and they left the car. Together they went towards the school and Ryo grabed her frozen hand.  
'I'm your one night boyfriend, remember?' he smirked when he saw Rika's confused face.  
'Yeah, ok, just don't embarasse me ...'  
There were 30 girls in Rika's class. None of them was standing outside anymore - they were probably all waiting inside for Rika to tease her - so the fresh 'couple' entered the gym Rika didn't saw (and hoped not to see again) in years.  
The gym had a large table full of drinks and snacks and some of her classmates were drinking beer with their boyfriends, the others were chatting in the corners, no one was dancing on the stage because there was no music.  
'Hey, gals!' Rika said loudly to wake up the gym. She instictivly squeezed Ryo's hand even harder.  
'Oh my god, Rika?' a girl in a blue dress with long blond hair said, approaching them. 'Is that _you_?'  
The others were just standing in the back, whispering and noding. 'Oh my god, it's really _you_! And you do have a boyfriend. Hi, I'm Ran and you are- OH MY GOD, it's RYO AKIYAMA!'  
Ran's sudden scream scared them both, Ryo liftet his eyebrow and Rika made a step backwards. She was used to such reactions but she didn't expect such a loud one now.  
Ran grabed Ryo's hands and started shaking them. She introduced herself at least five times and she kept telling him how she always liked Rika and how she always wanted her to be her best friend. The other girls approached them too and they were all full of compliments while they couldn't stop staring at Ryo. Rika could see the bunch of other boyfriends giving Ryo and their girlfriends confused and jealous looks.  
One hour later, the classmates were revealing their memories and they were all laughing at teachers, other girls and random occurrences. They were all very nice to Rika, which made her happy but at the same time mad, they only did that because of her outfit and date.  
'So, Rika, how long have you two been together? As far as I know, Ryo doesn't have a boyfriend!' Ran finally asked her what was bothering her for the last hour.  
'Well, we're not actually dating but it's just a matter of time when we'll start dating,' Rika said quickly and looked at Ryo, who was talking with the boys. He caught her look and smiled at her.  
'Oh really ...' Ran said and smiled evilly. Rika knew what that meant. _That biatch!_  
'Give me a second ...' Rika said and left the group. She waved to Ryo and he followed her to the bathroom.  
'What's up?' he asked her. She leaned herself against a washbasin.  
'I think Ran - the blonde girl - might try to get you.'  
'That crazy one in the blue dress? Yeah, I suspected that when she almost ripped my hand off and she keeps staring at me all the time,' Ryo smirked.  
Rika got angry:'I don't even know why I'm telling you this! Do what you want, just don't embarasse me in front of the whole class, ok?'  
She wanted to leave the bathroom but he grabed her hand and pulled her back.  
'Don't be mad at me, Rika,' he said with a sad voice but then he smiled. 'You're not jealous, are you?' He started to laugh and left her alone in the bathroom. She didn't follow him, at least not immediately. She turned herself into the mirror and watched her reflection.  
_Am I jealous?_  
She came out in a few minutes and found her classmated talking to Ryo. _What a surprise!_ She joined them and had to listen to Ryo's stories about fame and reality shows and fans and paparazzi and other boring stuff.  
'I knew your exgirlfriend, Ryo, she was a good friend of a friend of my cousin's friend,' a girl named Ina suddenly said.  
'What?' Rika wasn't sure if Ryo didn't understand Ina's complicated acquaintance or the fact that he was supposed to had had a girlfriend.  
'I knew Nina,' she said again.  
'Oh did you ... what can I say ... that's good for you,' Ryo said in a lower voice. 'I love these potatoe chips, don't you?' he continued, trying to change the subject .. unseccessfully.  
'You had a girlfriend, I didn't know that!' Ran said as if she had to know everything about him. Rika didn't say a thing, her brains were working like crazy.  
_A girlfriend? He had a girlfriend?_ She looked at him but he didn't looked her back. _He never mentioned her. That must had been when he was still living in Kyushu ... I knew if had someone in Tokyo ... Wouldn't I? Why didn't he mention her? Well, she didn't ask, that's true ..._ Even though this wasn't her business, she still felt hurt. Why didn't he tell her?  
'Yeah, that was a long time ago, it wasn't worth mentioning. We were kids and these things are never serious among kids, if you know what I mean.'  
'You're right, Ryo. You didn't have to bother him with that, Ina!' Ran said and grabed Ryo's arm shamelessly. 'Let's go get a drink, ok?'  
'Sure .. Umm, Rika, would you want me to bring you something?' he asked her but she was not there anymore. 'Rika ...'

Rika went for a walk outside. She felt really stupid doing that but she needed a break. The whole thing with Ryo was getting too confused and complicated and she needed to get away from it for a while. She knew he'd come looking for her but she still used the chance when he wasn't looking at her - he was avoiding to look at her ever since that Nina was mentioned - and left the gym. What was so special about this girl that he started acting so weird?  
She sat on a bench and looked to the sky. It was cold but she kinda needed that. She thought of Renamon for a few moments. She realised that she didn't think about her partner for a while and that made her sad. _Will we ever meet again, Renamon? I miss you ... I wish you'd be here now ... I became so weak since you were gone ..._  
'Ah, Renamon,' she sniffled. 'What should I do?'  
'You should go back inside, Rika ...' a voice behind her said. She turned around and Ryo - not Renamon - was standing behind her back.  
'Don't you scare me like that ever again, ok!' she yelled at him and turned back. He sat next to her.  
'I miss him too ...' he said. 'I mean, Cyberdramon. It's been so long ... I wonder if we'll ever see them again.'  
'I'm sure we will,' Rika whispered, even though she didn't believe that.  
'Why did you go?' Ryo asked her as if he didn't know the answer.  
'I couldn't hear any of your stories anymore .. I heard them already so many times ...' Rika said. She was still watching the starts.  
'You haven't heard that one with Nina yet ...' he said quietly.  
'That's not my business, Ryo. I only asked you for a favour to come here with me, you don't have to tell me your lifestory, you know,' she said back.  
'I know but ..'  
'It's cold out here, let's go inside,' Rika said and stood up.  
'Rika ..'  
'Mhm?'  
'You really look great in that dress,' he said without looking at her. She noded at him and left him again.

Rika couldn't stop thinkig of that Nina girl but she didn't want to ask Ryo about it. She decided to investigate her at home, not telling anyone about it. That was so not her level. She was avoiding Ryo a bit but she didn't lose a good sight at him. Ran must not get him, not today. That would embarasse her in front of everyone and the whole good impression would be forgotten in a second. It looked impossible to stop Ran from following Ryo wherever he went. He was talking to another guy in suit, when Ran suddenly interfere them and pulled Ryo away. Rika, who was just talking to a classmate, said she was going to the bathroom and followed the two of them. To the bathroom.  
Her heart was beating really fast when she approached the closed bathroom door. _Please .. please .._  
'Why not now?' Ran's voice. Rika leaned her head on the door.  
'Because .. I .. Give me my number and I'll call you.'  
'Right, you'll never call me. You give me _your_ number!'  
'Ok, fine, give me your phone ..'  
_That bastard, how dear he!_ Rika heard Ryo typing his number to Ran's cellphone. She became really mad.  
'Ok, babe, call me!' Ran said and opened the door. Rika stepped backwards in the last second.  
'Oh, looks who's here!' Ran said, giggled, waved to Ryo and went away.  
Rika didn't even look at her date, when she went to the bathroom. Ryo stayed there too.  
'That girl is crazy!' he finally said.  
'Yeah, you can enjoy her _crazyness_ tomorrow, when you'll call here,' Rika said, doing so as if she was fixing her make up.  
'What?'  
'Oh don't be such a jerk, Ryo, I heard you. I'm not stupid you know.'  
'Look who's jealous!' Ryo giggled. That was like pressing a button for a bombe to explode.  
'I'm not jealous you stupid fool!' she yelled at him and punched the washbasin with her fist. 'Stop playing that games with me, ok! That's sick and I would never expect anything like that from you!'  
Ryo was confused:'What do you mean ..?'  
'Oh don't act so innocent for gods sake!' she turned around to him. 'You can be such a freaking woman eater!'  
'Wha-'  
But Rika didn't let him speak:'You think that because you're famous every woman would just eat you alive, don't you!' She saw her latest dream about Ryo for a second .. Ryo turning into candy .. She ignored it. 'Well, let me tell you, stupid, THAT'S NOT TRUE!'  
'What's gone into you, Rika? Why are you yelling at me? I didn't do anything wrong!' Ryo was even more confused.  
'Didn't do anything wrong!' she yelled back. 'You're playing with other people's feelings, that's what you do! You do stupid things and then you just think they won't have any effect on other people's lives!'  
'What are you talking about?'  
'DON'T ACT SO STUPID!'  
Ryo went to the door and locked them.  
'I'd never play with anyone. Especially not with you, Rika.'  
'Stop lying, Ryo, just .. just stop doing that!'  
'I'm not LYING!'  
She turned to the mirror again. She could see his reflection in it but he couldn't see hers.  
'Why did you ...' she said quietly. 'Why did you say that ..?' If she wanted or not, that question was bothering her since the day of his birthday party.  
'Say what ..?'  
_It's now or never, Rika. You can't live like this anymore. You can't daydream about him, you can't ask yourself all the time, why the hell he said it. You must go on. NOW!_  
'You said you loved me, Ryo. And I believed you for a second.'


	7. 07 Ryo's Love

Ryo didn't say anything for a few minutes. Rika was watching him in the mirror, he was watching the floor. She hated herself for being so damn dramatic but at least she knew that Jeri would love that. If she ever tells her about it.  
'Rika .. I ...' Ryo finally mumbled something.  
'See! You ARE just a stupid player!' she yelled at him. 'You don't even remember that, you bastard!'  
She went to the bathroom door to leave him behind.  
'I always liked you with the pony tail, you know ...'  
'What ..?' Rika turned around and Ryo was watching her, smiling.  
'I knew you'd come. I saw you in the back, when that girl took my blindfold away.'  
Rika went a step backwards.  
'Satoshi told me, you were looking for me and that you left the gym. I knew you were leaving.'  
'Why ...'  
'I caught you in the last moment and .. your hair was .. you had a ponytail.'  
'I ...' Rika turned away from him. 'WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT!'  
He went to the doors and she stepped away from him. He unlocked them and opened the door.  
'Remember what you said when I told you about .. my feelings?'

_'Don't be stupid, Ryo ... I ...'  
'I'm sorry.'  
'You're drunk, Ryo!'_

'I love you, Rika. I'd never want to lose you or your friendship, that's why I lied to you. I remember every single moment of that night.'  
And he left. Rika was watching him leave as long as the door stayed open. She never felt that stupid in her entire life.

She took a taxi to come home that night because she couldn't find Ryo anywhere. She did see Ran and that make her a bit happier. She went straight to bed, even though Jeri asked her to call her as soon as she gets back. Rika didn't have any nerves left to listen to Jeri's excitement and she wasn't in the mood to talk about Ryo or what just happened. She lyed in her bed for hours before she felt asleep and when she finally did fall asleep, she had a dream about him.

Next day she went to Jeri's house. She wanted to talk about it with someone, she thought she'd feel better now that she knew he meant what he had said, but she felt even worse.  
'Hi, Jeri.'  
'Rikaa! You didn't call me last night! Come on in! Tell me everything!'  
Jeri was a good listener. She didn't say anything except 'ooh, that cow!, are you serious!, no way, ooooh, oh my goood!', while Rika was telling her what happened last night. When she completed the story, Jeri still didn't say anything smart for a few minutes.  
'What are you going to do now ..?'  
'I don't know .. that's why I came to you, Jeri!'  
'I can't help you, not right now! You alone must decide whether to love Ryo back or not.'

She didn't hear from him for two weeks. She didn't see him at school or at work, she even called him once but he didn't pick up the phone. School was coming to an end and Rika's trip to Europe was planed for tomorrow. She decided to go there alone, even though she could bring someone with her. She wanted to forgive about past few weeks and she felt that Germany would be a good oportunaty to do that. Too bad that she didn't win a ticket to Paris, the city of .. new .. love.

Her, Jeri and Takato went on a dinner the last night she was in Tokyo.  
'So you'll be gone for a month?' Takato asked her and she noded.  
'Yeah, I can't wait to see Berlin. I read about it yesterday and it seemed quite interesting!'  
'That's nice, Rika. Don't forget to send us a postcard!' Jeri smiled at her and stuck a fork into the meat.  
When Takato went to the bathroom, Jeri could finally talk about more interesting things. 'Ryo called Takato yesterday.'  
'Why's that?' Rika acted cool but her heart was beating faster.  
'He wanted to know when you're going to Germany,' Jeri said and ate another piece of her steak.  
'Why didn't he call me? I called him once you know but he didn't answer the phone.'  
'No idea, I just wanted you to know!'

The day of leaving came but Rika didn't hear anything from Ryo. She, her mum and granma went to the airport two hours before the departure.  
'Be good, ok? Send me a message as soon as you'll be there, ok? Don't make me worry about you! And don't go anywhere with any suspicious strangers!' Mum was hugging and kissing her.  
'Stop it, mum, you're embarassing me!'  
The three women were waiting for the plane and the time for goodbye finally came. Rika's mum hugged her one more time and Rika was checked by security. One of the security guys thought her D-Power looked suspicious but she managed to convince him it was just a regular tamagotchi. When she was allowed to go find her plane, she went past a big screen and almost had a heart attack when she saw Ryo on it.  
'Welcome to Tokyo Airport! I, Ryo Akiyama, wish you a good flight!' Ryo said.  
'What the hell? He did a commercial for Tokyo Airport?' Rika blinked twice when the commercial repeated itself for the third time. 'That jerk!'  
She went away because the pain in her chest started to grow and she didn't want to feel hurt. Not now. She finally found the underground train that lead to her plane, when she went past another Ryo-screen. She clenched her fists and pulled her suitcase so clumsily that she overturn it.  
'Damn!'  
'Welcome to Tokyo Airport! I, Ryo Akiyama, wish you a good flight!'  
If Renamon was there in that moment, she would made him blow up the stupid screen.  
'First I have to thank Tokyo Airport for letting me send this message.'  
Rika picked up her suitcase.  
'I'm sorry I didn't contact you in last two weeks.'  
Rika turned to the screen. _Did Ryo-screen just say something more than just wishing us a good flight?_  
'I went back home, to Kyushu I mean, for a few days. I'll be here for the holidays but I'll come back when you're finally home.'  
It wasn't just Rika who was now watching Ryo's message.  
'I'm sorry, if I hurt you.' Ryo on the screen blushed a little. 'I'll .. I'll wait for you and .. well, I'll be there, when you come back.'  
A few women giggled at his broken speach.  
'So have fun in Germany and don't forget to send me a postcard! Heh ..' Ryo said and sent her a kiss with his hand.  
'Jeri made me do it .. I mean the kiss!' was the last thing he said before the screen went black.  
'Oh sooo sweet!' said a girl behind Rika. 'I wonder who he was talking to! I wish it was me!' Her friends looked around in hope to recognise Ryo's secret crush.  
Rika was still watching the blank screen. If anyone would look her closer, they would immediately recognise her as Ryo's secret crush. Her eyes and mouth were wide open (again) and her suitcase was - again - lying on the floor behind her. She stood like that for at least five minutes and then she finally picked up the suitcase. She then turned around to the train: 'What a fool! Sending me a message like that!'  
When the train came, she went .. with a happy smile.


	8. 08 Greetings From Berlin

Some of Rika's postcards from Berlin.

To: Nonaka Family  
Greathouse 01  
Tokyo, Shinjuku  
Japan

Hi, mum and grandma! I'm having a great time, I saw many interesting things and I really have luck with the weather! I went to the Brandenburg gate yesterday and it looked even better than on photos! I made many photos already, I can't wait to show them to you. You'll love them!  
See you soon,  
love Rika

To: Jeri Katou  
Katou Restaurant  
Tokyo, Shinjuku  
Japan

Hey Jeri! I wish you could have gone with me, you'd love it here! I can't wait to tell you everything that happened to me in these three weeks. I showed a picture of you to some people I met here and one of them wanted me to give him your number (of course I said no, Takato, don't get all mad!). However, I'll probably be home before you get the postcard, so bye bye,  
Rika 3 

To: Ryo Akiyama  
Bigbuilding 01, Apartment 14  
Tokyo, Shinjuku  
Japan

Greetings from Germany!  
Rika |


	9. 09 Epilogue

Like he promissed, Ryo was waiting at the airport when Rika returned to Tokyo. Rika was happy not to see him with a bouquet of flowers or dressed in a suit.  
He put his arm around her shoulder and that's how they left the airport. No kiss or real hug but that's what she needed.  
She came to his apartment once when Satoshi wasn't at home and they talked there for hours. She now knew everything about Nina. Nina was Ryo's exgirlfriend, who he met in Kyushu. They dated for almost a year but then he found out he was cheating him. Ryo denied, that it was one of the reasons he came to study in Tokyo.  
Rika and Ryo were dating but they never acted too sweet in public. Nobody knew how they were in private.  
After Ryo's message on the screen, paparazzi didn't leave him alone until he finally gave an interview, talking about his girlfriend. Rika felt a bit embarassed about it but at least she could choose which picture she wanted to be published in the magazine. Sometimes when she went out with her mum and saw a paparazzi taking photos of them, she didn't know if they were interested in her or in her mother, the successful model. She stopped caring about it soon.  
Rika still didn't like Satoshi, who didn't stop calling her _slow burger maker_ and similar stuff. Ryo never told her how he can stand his best friend.  
Rika was still working in the restaurant and the waitress wanted to talk about Ryo all the time. Rika was getting annoyed by the fact, that she actually enjoyed talking about him. Jeri told her that that was just a normal thing to do .. for a girl in love.  
(Rika never admitted that it was a heart drawn on Ryo's postcard.)

**THE END~**

...

No kiss in the end? No, I thought that could only ruin the story. :P Why Berlin? I don't know, I love the city ...

Review please! I'd love to know if I should continue publishing my work. :D Thanks for reading!


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